Hardened test modules upgrade transmission development.(DATA ACQUISITION)

Test & Measurement World, April, 2005 by Webb, Stephen C.; Turbett, Marlin

When General Motors decided to expand its transmission development capabilities at its Ypsilanti, MI, facility, the company's engineers encountered space limitations. The development test lab, equipped with only one test stand, was hemmed in on all sides, yet development testing was charged with gathering more data on each transmission while also expanding transmission output.

In other words, the engineers were asked to practice "lean testing" to go along with "lean manufacturing." Working with HBM, the company solved the throughput problem by using a fleet of "smart pallets." Rather than tie up the single test stand for instrumenting and deinstrumenting on line--a process that can take several days--the GM staff now makes all the pre-connections offline....

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